Gaston County schools were still segregated when Highland High School students were part of a national study in 1960.

The high school was designated for black students before Gaston schools integrated.

The study, called Project Talent, assessed aptitudes and abilities as well as hopes and expectations of students in the classes of 1960, 1961, 1962 and 1963.

It studied 440,000 high school students across the country and, at the time, was the largest and most comprehensive study of high schoolers ever.

More than 50 years later, the national study’s leaders want to reconnect with the students who took part in Project Talent for a follow-up study.

The American Institutes for Research and the U.S. Office of Education conducted the research in 1960.

“The Project Talent generation is very important in the history of this country,” Sabine Horner, Project Talent’s Director of Outreach and Communications, wrote in a statement.

“They came of age during an era of great upheaval and they transformed the United States as we knew it. Project Talent is an opportunity to share their perspectives and experiences in a meaningful way that can benefit future generations.”

Studies that track people from adolescence to retirement can be valuable to researchers, but they’re rare. Researchers can learn how family and education backgrounds affected how a person lived.

Students in grades 9 through 12 took a series of tests that examined their abilities in subjects such as reading and math, according to the Project Talent website.

Students completed three separate questionnaires that asked about family background, personal and educational experiences, aspirations for future goals and interest in various occupations and activities.

You can reach reporter Amanda Memrick at 704-869-1839 or follow @AmandaMemrick on Twitter.

Are you part of Highland High School’s classes of 1960-1963?

Highland High School members of classes 1960-1963 who participated in the 1960 survey can call Project Talent at 1-866-770-6077 or send an email to projectalent50@air.org. They can also go to ProjectTalent.org.

Reporter Amanda Memrick would like to hear from individuals who took part in Project Talent. Contact her at 704-869-1839 or email amemrick@gastongazette.com